Well that spectacularly backfired

[hmp10]

Maserati is no longer paired with Ferrari, as it is owned by Stellantis.

This is mountains out of molehills. It’s a different company than it was in 2001-2006. From 2006-2017 he was CMO of Maserati NA. Now he’s going back as GM of Maserati NA.

That clears that up. And it certainly indicates Soriano left Maserati on good terms and returned with his reputation intact.

However, it still begs the question of why he would leave Lucid right in the middle of the roll-out of a product as critical as the Gravity.

 

[LucidDropkick]

That clears that up. And it certainly indicates Soriano left Maserati on good terms and returned with his reputation intact.

However, it still begs the question of why he would leave Lucid right in the middle of the roll-out of a product as critical as the Gravity.

It only really "begs the question" if you insist on trying to find causality where there's only correlation.

 

[fadooly]

well, I think everytime the stock goes down it is good news for me to buy more into the dip. I am aiming for average down strategy. I believe in 5 - 10 years time we will have very different story with stock price in 500 to 1000.

every company has a government/sponsor behind it, almost always succeed in the long run.

I have made extremely good money with minimum investment because I am sticking to what I believe for years and my guts tell me Lucid will be winner. we just have to take too much pain now for a big relief later

I own the stock and the car , this is how much I believe.

I believe as well it is time now to sell off my 15 years position in Tesla hhhh joking but serious

 

[hmp10]

It only really "begs the question" if you insist on trying to find causality where there's only correlation.

I may be trying to find causality . . . but not necessarily with Soriano. There are many possible reasons Soriano might have left. One possibility is that he felt his hands were tied in developing a sound marketing strategy by decisions being made elsewhere in the organization. I'm wondering what decisions relating to the Gravity roll-out were driven by marketing considerations and what decisions were driven by other considerations.

There are some things that are decidedly odd about the Gravity roll-out:

Lucid announced that the Gravity would launch with two trim levels. However, the order configurator opened with only one available, accompanied by company statements that the second would not come until around a year later. And nothing was revealed about the differences in the two trim levels (other than base price) that might enable a customer to decide whether to wait an extra year to order.

After saying since inception of the company that range is king among considerations for purchasing EVs, Lucid opened orders for the Gravity without any EPA ratings or even estimates that would clarify the impact on range of certain options, such as wheel/tire and suspension choices, which can be significant.

Lucid opened orders without any production-representative vehicles on display in most Design Design studios, unlike the case with the Air roll-out.

The order configurator for the Gravity is considerably less developed than the original Air configurator. Exterior colors are not displayed clearly or in different light conditions. The image cannot be rotated to see the colors from different angles. The view of the interior color selection is similarly static, without the earlier ability to view the upholstery and panels from anywhere in the vehicle.

There is just something that feels very hurried and half-baked about this roll-out, and I'm wondering what's driving the hurry.

 

[NoseyReporter]

I'm gunna throw a wrench into the discussion and go a very different direction.

Why, if production is not a limiting factor are customers having to wait several weeks for custom orders? The capacity is there, so what is the problem? There are 6 colors, so even if the paint area does one color a week, presumably you can rotate through all the colors in 1.5 months. I understand that some colors are more popular, so that might skew a potential custom order if you fall on the wrong end of the production calendar. But I've definitely seen a few post of people waiting 8+ weeks.

Q3 produced 1800 Airs. That comes out to 20 a day? In a factory that can produce 30,000 per year so 80 units per day. That means production is operating at 1/4 capacity.

Is it a BOM problem? This I highly doubt. On more than one occasion they've discussed how small changes in parts, exceedingly simple changes, produces massive changes in the end result. The engineers have done a phenomenal job here. I feel like BOMs are very similar between Air variants and they've done a excellent job around managing this

Is it an employment problem? They have the ability to ramp but perhaps they'd finish production too quickly and employees would be left with idle hands. They can't hire and fire at whim, so instead then intentionally slow production to make work more consistent and even.

I know MRP can be very very complicated but the lingering question for me is if you have a customer who is willing to pay, what is the hold up? It was shocking to see so many 23/34 Airs riddle across the parking lots around the factory, but they've all been sold or leased. Now that this buffer is gone are 2025 customers going have to sit around and wait for their orders? Will this happen with Gravity too? Is this MRP puzzle the reason why Gravity Touring is slated for a later production date?

It's easy enough to say take the money and get the car in their hands. But of course there must be some underlying complex issue and while many people seem to think the product is half baked, not ready or otherwise... I think this is some type form of a production puzzle which is manifesting itself in what we see with delayed custom orders or Gravity GT launching first vs Gravity GT/T simultaneously.

Anyone out there with significant MRP experience who can chime in and add some light on whether or not this might be an issue?

Just a random Sunday morning sitting on the couch thought.

 

[tonybot]

I'm gunna throw a wrench into the discussion and go a very different direction.

Why, if production is not a limiting factor are customers having to wait several weeks for custom orders? The capacity is there, so what is the problem? There are 6 colors, so even if the paint area does one color a week, presumably you can rotate through all the colors in 1.5 months. I understand that some colors are more popular, so that might skew a potential custom order if you fall on the wrong end of the production calendar. But I've definitely seen a few post of people waiting 8+ weeks.

Q3 produced 1800 Airs. That comes out to 20 a day? In a factory that can produce 30,000 per year so 80 units per day. That means production is operating at 1/4 capacity.

Is it a BOM problem? This I highly doubt. On more than one occasion they've discussed how small changes in parts, exceedingly simple changes, produces massive changes in the end result. The engineers have done a phenomenal job here. I feel like BOMs are very similar between Air variants and they've done a excellent job around managing this

Is it an employment problem? They have the ability to ramp but perhaps they'd finish production too quickly and employees would be left with idle hands. They can't hire and fire at whim, so instead then intentionally slow production to make work more consistent and even.

I know MRP can be very very complicated but the lingering question for me is if you have a customer who is willing to pay, what is the hold up? It was shocking to see so many 23/34 Airs riddle across the parking lots around the factory, but they've all been sold or leased. Now that this buffer is gone are 2025 customers going have to sit around and wait for their orders? Will this happen with Gravity too? Is this MRP puzzle the reason why Gravity Touring is slated for a later production date?

It's easy enough to say take the money and get the car in their hands. But of course there must be some underlying complex issue and while many people seem to think the product is half baked, not ready or otherwise... I think this is some type form of a production puzzle which is manifesting itself in what we see with delayed custom orders or Gravity GT launching first vs Gravity GT/T simultaneously.

Anyone out there with significant MRP experience who can chime in and add some light on whether or not this might be an issue?

Just a random Sunday morning sitting on the couch thought.

Very thoughtful. I also wonder what role service readiness is playing as well. We have heard stories about service centers being backed up and mobile service backlogged. There was a post in the forum that the tape TSC for a customer is scheduled for Jan due to the backlog in the LA area. Last I know, mobile techs are still waiting to be learning more and be trained on the Gravity. I hope more knowledgeable folks can comment on how just in time is service training on a new model versus that being done months in advance. It could be multiple factors at play and during an information vacuum theories will be formed by us and investors, including big funds.

 

[hmp10]

Last I know, mobile techs are still waiting to be learning more and be trained on the Gravity.

A mobile tech is coming to us this Friday. I'll ask what he knows about training mobile techs on the Gravity.

We saw a beta-version Gravity on display at the Miami Worldcenter Design Studio on September 28. They told me that a production-version Gravity was currently disassembled in their service center for training, but they would not let anyone see it. My guess is that at least the other high-volume service centers, such as around Los Angeles and in the Bay Area, also had such training going on at the time.

 

[Buffalo Bob]

When I sit back and really think about it, I'm amazed at the challenge of developing a vehicle absolutely loaded with groundbreaking technology, constructing the manufacturing infrastructure to build it, the marketing strategy to motivate people to take a 'leap of faith' and buy it, and the service infrastructure to support it, while balancing volumes in such a way that it's enough to stay in business, while not so much that it has no way to properly support it. Yikes!

I think I'll go take a nap now.

 

[HC_79]

There was a post in the forum that the tape TSC for a customer is scheduled for Jan due to the backlog in the LA area.

I’m in LA area. Rang last Monday to book in and the work is being performed this Tuesday. They offered Monday but I was unavailable.

 

[hmp10]

I just got an email from Lucid Sales telling me how the Gravity sanctuary mode is "designed to energize and bring clarity."

Irony lives.

 

[borski]

I just got an email from Lucid Sales telling me how the Gravity sanctuary mode is "designed to energize and bring clarity."

View attachment 24638

Irony lives.

But think about the clarity you’ll feel when it arrives.

 

[hmp10]

But think about the clarity you’ll feel when it arrives.

I try. I do try.

 

[tonybot]

I’m in LA area. Rang last Monday to book in and the work is being performed this Tuesday. They offered Monday but I was unavailable.

I was referring to this comment. Glad to hear that is not accurate for everyone.

Post in thread 'UX 2.5 OTA Update'

Yesterday at 4:33 PM

Just updated my software but CS says I'm scheduled for the hardware update - in January! Yes, things are backed up here in Las Vegas.

• emoylv

 

[HC_79]

I was referring to this comment. Glad to hear that is not accurate for everyone.

Post in thread 'UX 2.5 OTA Update'

Yesterday at 4:33 PM

Just updated my software but CS says I'm scheduled for the hardware update - in January! Yes, things are backed up here in Las Vegas.

• emoylv

LA isn’t Las Vegas

 

[tonybot]

LA isn’t Las Vegas

My bad - I misremembered it as I was commenting.

 

[illopp00]

It depends on interpretation. He was once the Global Brand Manager for Maserati and Ferrari. He is now a General Manager just of Maserati and just for one region. Moving from a global functional role to a regional general role is usually viewed as a lateral move in large organizations.

Is it really a promotion if the sales are down 50% and therefor the company size will be down 50%?

 

[illopp00]

I may be trying to find causality . . . but not necessarily with Soriano. There are many possible reasons Soriano might have left. One possibility is that he felt his hands were tied in developing a sound marketing strategy by decisions being made elsewhere in the organization. I'm wondering what decisions relating to the Gravity roll-out were driven by marketing considerations and what decisions were driven by other considerations.

There are some things that are decidedly odd about the Gravity roll-out:

Lucid announced that the Gravity would launch with two trim levels. However, the order configurator opened with only one available, accompanied by company statements that the second would not come until around a year later. And nothing was revealed about the differences in the two trim levels (other than base price) that might enable a customer to decide whether to wait an extra year to order.

After saying since inception of the company that range is king among considerations for purchasing EVs, Lucid opened orders for the Gravity without any EPA ratings or even estimates that would clarify the impact on range of certain options, such as wheel/tire and suspension choices, which can be significant.

Lucid opened orders without any production-representative vehicles on display in most Design Design studios, unlike the case with the Air roll-out.

The order configurator for the Gravity is considerably less developed than the original Air configurator. Exterior colors are not displayed clearly or in different light conditions. The image cannot be rotated to see the colors from different angles. The view of the interior color selection is similarly static, without the earlier ability to view the upholstery and panels from anywhere in the vehicle.

There is just something that feels very hurried and half-baked about this roll-out, and I'm wondering what's driving the hurry.

They are all out doing car show tours like Electrify Expo in Austin! Honestly probably a more effective use of getting eyes on the car and brand when you have a 2 product lineup that is very desirable.

 

[hmp10]

They are all out doing car show tours like Electrify Expo in Austin! Honestly probably a more effective use of getting eyes on the car and brand when you have a 2 product lineup that is very desirable.

I doubt if the marketing people on these field tours have anything to do with getting the EPA ratings certified or making the order configurator more functional.

 

[borski]

Is it really a promotion if the sales are down 50% and therefor the company size will be down 50%?

Good lord. Yes, it is.

But, moreover, in case I haven't made it abundantly clear yet: I ... don't ... care. Moreover, I think neither should you.

Let's please move on from the nonsensical discussion of whether Andrea left for a promotion or not. It doesn't matter. It clearly wasn't a demotion. He did not go to Maserati begging for his job back. What else it was, outside of that, does not matter.